US7929251B2 - Assembly, apparatus and method for fabricating a structural element of a hard disk drive air bearing - Google Patents
Assembly, apparatus and method for fabricating a structural element of a hard disk drive air bearing Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US7929251B2 US7929251B2 US11/329,680 US32968006A US7929251B2 US 7929251 B2 US7929251 B2 US 7929251B2 US 32968006 A US32968006 A US 32968006A US 7929251 B2 US7929251 B2 US 7929251B2
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- layer
- protective layer
- disposing
- structural
- air bearing
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related, expires
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B5/00—Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor
- G11B5/48—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed
- G11B5/58—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed with provision for moving the head for the purpose of maintaining alignment of the head relative to the record carrier during transducing operation, e.g. to compensate for surface irregularities of the latter or for track following
- G11B5/60—Fluid-dynamic spacing of heads from record-carriers
- G11B5/6005—Specially adapted for spacing from a rotating disc using a fluid cushion
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
- Y10T29/4902—Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
- Y10T29/49021—Magnetic recording reproducing transducer [e.g., tape head, core, etc.]
- Y10T29/49032—Fabricating head structure or component thereof
- Y10T29/49036—Fabricating head structure or component thereof including measuring or testing
- Y10T29/49043—Depositing magnetic layer or coating
- Y10T29/49046—Depositing magnetic layer or coating with etching or machining of magnetic material
Definitions
- the present invention relates to the field of hard disk drives. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to an improved structural element on a surface of an air bearing and an improved method to produce the structural element in disk drives with sensing heads in close proximity to a moving media surface.
- Hard disk drives are used in many computer system operations. In fact, many computing systems operate with some type of hard disk drive to store the most basic computing information, e.g., the boot operation, the operating system, the applications, etc. In general, the hard disk drive is a device, which may or may not be removable, but without which, some computing systems may not operate.
- the hard drive model includes a storage disk or hard disk that spins at a standard rotational speed.
- An actuator arm or slider is utilized to reach out over the disk.
- the arm has a magnetic read/write transducer or head for reading/writing information to or from a location on the disk.
- the complete assembly e.g., the arm and head, is called a head gimbal assembly (HGA).
- HGA head gimbal assembly
- the assembly consisting of the disks, HGAs, spindle, housing, and the other parts internal to the housing is called the Head Disk Assembly, or HDA.
- the hard disk is rotated at a prescribed speed via a spindle motor assembly having a central drive hub. Additionally, there are data holding channels or tracks spaced at known intervals across the disk. Most current embodiments arrange the data holding regions in concentric circular tracks, but other designs, such as spirals or irregular closed or open paths are possible and useful.
- the hard disk aligns the head, via the arm, over the specific track location and the head reads the information from the disk. In the same manner, when a request for a write of a specific portion or track is received, the hard disk aligns the head, via the arm, over the specific track location and the head writes the information to the disk.
- Refinement of the disk and the head have provided reductions in the size of the hard disk drive.
- the original hard disk drive had a disk diameter of 24 inches.
- Modern hard disk drives are much smaller and include disk diameters of less than 2.5 inches.
- Small disk drive type apparatus such as micro drives can be smaller still.
- Refinements also include the use of smaller components and laser and other optical related components within the head portion. Reducing the read/write tolerances of the head portion allows the tracks on the disk to be reduced in size by a corresponding margin.
- the track size on the disk can be further compressed.
- disc drive technology has generally focused on increasing the amount of data stored on each disc surface.
- data tracks are arranged concentrically about a disk's surface or in an analogous arrangement.
- One method of increasing the amount of data a disk can store is to make each data track narrower, which allows the tracks to be spaced more closely together. This allows a larger number of tracks on each disk surface.
- signals generated in the head caused by media alterations e.g., from data written to the disk'magnetic, optical, thermal, and/or other media
- the signal to noise ratio can worsen, particularly in the presence of electronic and media-induced signal degradation and noise.
- One method to improve the signal to noise ratio, and hence the detection of media alteration is to position the heads more closely to the media surface. This causes the media alteration-sensing components of the head to be physically closer to the media alterations, thus improving the head sensor'ability to detect the media alterations comprising the written signal.
- care must be taken to avoid unintended contact between the head components and the moving media surface.
- the heads are lightly spring loaded, with the spring tension perpendicular to the media surface plane and directed against the media surface.
- An air bearing separates the head and media surfaces as follows: As the media moves relative to the head, air is dragged by the disc surface through specifically designed channels in the surface of the head adjacent to the media surface.
- ABS air-bearing surface
- air bearing surface structural elements are pads, dams, foils, or other elements designed to direct and control air flow, mechanically support and position head components, provide features to support the head while the disc is not spinning hence the head is not flying, and many other functions.
- These elements typically consist of a structural material, which typically provides the physical size, strength, durability, and other qualities of the air bearing surface element feature.
- other layers may be situated both above, e.g. towards the surface facing the media, and below, e.g. towards the slider body layer, the structural layers. These other layers provide corrosion resistive, adhesive, protective, electrical, and other qualities necessary to the head functions, e.g. electrical, mechanical, and aerodynamic properties.
- FIG. 1 is an illustrative example of a lift off process material arrangement
- FIG. 2 exemplifies the structure of the resulting exemplary structural feature.
- the lift-off process is intended to depose a pattern of structural material having sides essentially perpendicular to a substrate (e.g., slider body) and a flat upper surface parallel to the substrate surface, i.e., a rectangular cross section in the view provided by FIG. 1 .
- the exemplary lift off process denoted in FIG. 1 uses a protective layer 2 deposited over the slider body substrate 1 .
- the protective layer is composed of at least two discrete layers, usually a layer of silicon followed by a layer of carbon.
- a patterned resist layer 3 typically photo resist, is deposited over the protective layer 2 , covering the regions where the structural material 4 is not wanted, hence the remaining area constitutes the regions where deposition of the structural material is desired.
- the shape and perimeter features of said remaining area constitute the shape and perimeter features of the resulting structural element.
- a layer of the structural material 4 used to construct the air bearing element is deposited over both the protective layer 2 and patterned resist layer 3 , with an angle of incidence 7 .
- the resist 3 along with the structural material 4 applied over it, are removed from the air bearing surface protective layer 2 by a stripping process, leaving the desired pattern of structural material 6 in FIG. 2 .
- the thickness of the structural material necessitates vigorous mechanical methods to break up and remove the undesired structural material and resist layer, such as a soda blast. This vigorous stripping process step may damage the protective layer 2 , slider body 1 , and any other features or components of the air bearing surface.
- the structural element 6 typically contains at least one region 9 that was shadowed by resist 3 , hence the height dimension is inadequate.
- the shadowing is a result of the angle of the deposition flux orientation resulting in regions where the structural material deposition flux is reduced, resulting in a subsequent reduced structural material accumulation. This is undesirable since any deviation from a flat surface represents a deviation from the model used to design the air bearing topography, resulting in unexpected air bearing performance.
- the structural element 6 typically comprises at least one region 10 where the structural material 4 accumulated excessively along the resist pattern boundary, resulting in a protuberant region oriented toward the disc surface termed a “fence”. This is undesirable since any deviation from a flat surface represents a deviation from the model used to design the air bearing topography.
- the fence is mechanically fragile and unstable so it tends to disintegrate during the disc drive operation.
- the applied layer of structural material 6 does not possess a uniform thickness; since the relatively tall resist 3 areas shadow the areas near the patterned resist layer boundaries, e.g., Shadowed Region 5 .
- This shadowing produces region 9 , shown in FIG. 1 and again in FIG. 2 near the resist area boundaries that do not receive adequate structural material deposition flux to accumulate the needed thickness.
- the end result is a region, adjacent to the resist areas, where the applied structural layer 6 possesses inadequate height above the slider body; hence the structural element is not flat. It is also appreciated that this dimensional discrepancy is highly dependant on the photo resist layer thickness.
- the applied layer of structural material 6 does not possess a uniform thickness.
- Some structural material deposition flux 7 deposits structural material along the sides and edges of the patterned resist boundaries. These deposits coat the resist boundary edges, illustrated by region 10 , which are taller than the applied deposition of the structural element.
- region 10 When the resist is stripped away, exemplified in FIG. 2 , the unwanted deposition of structural material 10 remains, forming a “fence” that extends above the thickness of the deposited element.
- this fence reduce the head-disc separation by an unpredictable amount, but the fence also lacks structural integrity and mechanical stability, so it tends to disintegrate during the disc drive operation.
- the fence may disintegrate into hard particulate matter, which is damaging and undesirable in the disc drive operation.
- the head fabrication process may include an additional step, or sequence of steps, to remove the fence.
- the lift-off method requires an excessive number of manufacturing steps and processes, leading to increased costs and reduced production yields.
- the lift-off process will typically use a protective layer 2 , which is needed to protect the slider body 1 from vigorous process steps (e.g., soda blast), corrosion and to enhance adhesion of subsequent layers.
- a protective layer 2 is needed to protect the slider body 1 from vigorous process steps (e.g., soda blast), corrosion and to enhance adhesion of subsequent layers.
- Presently used protective layers are too thick and opaque to permit measuring pole tip dimensions using the preferred method of critical dimension scanning electron microscopy (CDSEM).
- CDSEM critical dimension scanning electron microscopy
- the protective layer requires two process steps to remove.
- An assembly, apparatus and method for fabricating a structural element of a hard disk drive air bearing is disclosed.
- the method and apparatus provide an improved protective layer, an improved structural element consisting of a single layer of structural material, and a method consisting of applying the improved protective layer, applying a uniform layer of structural material, applying a resist layer, etching the structural material layer, and removing the resist layer.
- the method provides a protective layer, a structural material layer, a photo resist layer, removal of unwanted structural material layer, and removal of the photo resist layer.
- An improved protective layer is disclosed.
- the improved protective layer is deposed between the slider body and the structural material layer.
- FIG. 2 is not to be interpreted as limiting the invention to magnetic disk drives.
- the drawings are not to scale.
- FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary cross section of a portion of a hard disk air bearing at an intermediate manufacturing process step.
- FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary cross section of a portion of a hard disk air bearing at an intermediate manufacturing process step.
- FIG. 3 depicts a hard disk drive in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 depicts a disk drive head air bearing surface (ABS) showing structural elements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary cross section of a hard disk air bearing having an improved protective layer and improved structural element according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary cross section of a hard disk air bearing having an improved protective layer and improved structural element after oxygen-nitrogen ash and resist strip action according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary cross section of a hard disk air bearing having an improved protective layer and improved structural element after a protective layer etch according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an exemplary process to depose an air bearing element according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- Embodiments of the present invention provide a computer disk drive air bearing surface (ABS), a deposed structural element, and method for deposing the air bearing structural element.
- ABS computer disk drive air bearing surface
- One embodiment provides an air bearing structural feature lacking dimensional deficiencies inherent in elements produced using prior art.
- One embodiment provides an improved protective layer comprising one layer.
- One embodiment comprises an improved protective layer that is easily removed via ion beam etch.
- One embodiment requires fewer process steps than current process and air bearing designs.
- One embodiment removes relationship between photo resist thickness and the dimensional accuracy of air bearing structural elements.
- One embodiment requires fewer and less expensive manufacturing process steps to construct the air bearing surface.
- embodiments of the present invention allow the ABS element to be effectively deposed without fencing and shadowing, with better control of air bearing element thickness, and using fewer process steps. Improved, e.g., more predictable, air bearing performance is provided according to embodiments of this invention. Dimensional discrepancies, head-disk contact and particulate contamination are deterred according to embodiments of the present invention. In addition, fewer fabrication process steps are required and overall head yield is improved.
- FIG. 3 depicts a hard disk drive or “file” 111 for storing data, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. While depicted and discussed with reference to exemplary magnetic media, file 111 can comprise optical or other media.
- File 111 has an outer housing or base 113 containing a disk pack having at least one disk 115 , an actuator 121 , several actuator arms 125 , one of which is shown.
- Disk 115 comprises magnetic, optical, or other media.
- actuator arms 125 are arrayed parallel to one another, e.g., in the form of a comb that is movably or pivotally mounted to base 113 about a pivot assembly 123 .
- a controller 119 is also mounted to base 113 for selectively moving the comb of arms 125 relative to disk 115 .
- the disk 115 is rotated by a spindle motor assembly having a central drive hub 117 .
- each arm 125 has extending from it at least one cantilevered load beam and integrated lead suspension (ILS) 127 .
- a read/write head slider 129 is mounted on the obverse of ILS 127 and secured to each ILS 127 , e.g., on the obverse side of that depicted.
- the head slider has an air bearing surface 130 on the surface proximate and generally parallel to the disk surface (e.g., on the obverse of the side depicted).
- the level of integration called the head gimbal assembly (HGA) is the head slider 129 , which are mounted on suspension 127 .
- the slider 129 is bonded to the end of ILS 127 . It is appreciated that the ILS and cantilevered load beam 127 may comprise a wide variety of size, arrangement, and orientation, without affecting this invention. Embodiments of the present invention are well suited to ILS 127 having a variety of characteristics.
- ILS 127 has a spring-like quality, which biases or presses the air-bearing surface 130 against the disk 115 to cause the slider 129 to fly at a precise distance from the disk.
- ILS 127 has a hinge area that flexes, pivots, etc., to provide for the spring-like quality.
- a coil 133 is free to move within a magnet assembly 134 , the top pole of which is not shown in this perspective. Coil 133 is mounted to arms 125 opposite the ILS 127 .
- coil 133 comprises a component similar to those referred to in the art as “voice coils.” Movement 135 of the actuator 121 (depicted by an arrow) by controller 119 causes the head 129 to move along radial arcs across tracks on the disk 115 until the heads 129 settle on their set target tracks.
- the heads 129 operate in a manner similar to that of others known in the art.
- the ILS 127 move in unison with one another.
- file 111 uses multiple independent actuators, similar to those shown. In that alternate embodiment, the arms 125 are free to move independently of one another.
- FIG. 4 depicts the air bearing surface 130 of slider 129 of file 111 of FIG. 3 .
- the depicted surface faces the media, item 115 of FIG. 3 .
- Slider body 301 upon which are disposed features, structural elements, and transducer elements is described as follows: In one embodiment, such features are deposed, deposited, etched, etc, over a protective layer 315 deposed above slider body 129 . In one embodiment, such features and elements are deposed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- the leading edge 313 of slider 130 is proximate with air dam 310 .
- the trailing edge 314 of slider 130 is proximate with pads 311 and 312 , transducer 303 , and pad area 304 and 305 .
- the structural elements consisting of a front air dam 310 , rails 306 and 307 , and air bearing structures 308 , 309 , 311 , 312 , and 302 establish an air pressure distribution formed by aerodynamic effects on air dragged, pulled, etc. under the slider 301 by relative motion between slider and media surface and related effects.
- Center structural element pad 302 also carries the transducer elements, collectively denoted with element number 303 .
- the composition and/or layers comprising the transducer 303 in various embodiments can depend upon a particular intended application. However in one embodiment, the dimension of transducer 303 is independent of other slider features. Embodiments of the present invention are well suited to transducer 303 having a variety of characteristics.
- FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary air bearing feature cross section in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- the air bearing structure is depicted at an intermediate point in an exemplary process in accordance with the present invention.
- the air bearing is oriented with a face proximate with the disk drive media surface, as denoted by arrow 11 .
- Protective layer 2 is deposed over, i.e. towards the media face of the air bearing surface, slider body 1 .
- the improved protective layer 2 is made of Si3N4.
- Si3N4 dielectric has these advantages: thin enough to allow critical dimension measurement by scanning electron microscope (CDSEM), resistant to chemical and mechanical treatments, applied via a single layer deposition, and easily removed by ion beam etch.
- an essentially uniform thick layer of structural material 4 is deposed over protective layer 2 .
- resist material 3 is deposed in an appropriate pattern over structural layer 4 .
- the pattern of resist material 3 is such to protect certain regions of structural material 4 from subsequent material removal process steps, thereby denoting and protecting the regions of structural material 4 that are to remain after the subsequent material removal steps.
- the structural material 4 is carbon, but the structural material functions equally well with a large number of other materials, hence it can be seen that carbon is not required as the structural material.
- the resist material 3 is a liquid photo resist. In one embodiment, the resist material 3 is a dry photo resist. It is appreciated that the type of resist may vary, depending on the slider manufacturing process and the materials used for the layers. It is also appreciated that the final thickness and topography of the structural element, item 12 of FIG. 5 , is independent of the thickness or composition of the resist layer 3 .
- FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary air bearing feature cross section in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- the air bearing is oriented with a face proximate with the disk drive media surface, as denoted by arrow 11 .
- Improved protective layer 2 is deposed over, i.e. towards the media face of the air bearing surface, slider body 1 .
- reactive ion milling is used to remove the structural materials from regions 8 and 9 , which were deposed as part of layer 4 in FIG. 5 , that are not protected by the resist layer in region 10 .
- the resist layer in region 10 is removed by a resist strip process. It is recognized that the actual method used to remove structural materials in regions 8 and 9 , and the method to remove resist layer in region 10 may vary, depending on the slider manufacturing process and the materials used for the layers. Embodiments of the present invention are well suited to a variety of structural material in regions 8 and 9 , and resist region 10 removal methods.
- Structural layer in regions 8 and 9 which had been deposed previously in the manufacturing process, are removed by the described process.
- the resist layer in region 10 which had been deposed previously in the manufacturing process, is removed by the described process. Therefore, structural element 12 remains and is effectively deposed over air bearing protective layer 2 .
- FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary air bearing feature cross section in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- the air bearing is oriented with a face proximate to the disk drive media surface, as denoted by arrow 11 .
- Region 8 depicts a region where the improved protective layer 2 has been removed to form a shallow well.
- the improved protective layer is removed by ion beam etching. Ion beam etching is inexpensive, easily controlled, and unlikely to damage the air bearing surface components.
- FIG. 8 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for deposing a structural element on a disk drive air bearing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- Process 800 begins with Step 801 , where the improved protective layer is deposed over the slider body.
- Step 802 a uniform layer of structural material is deposed over the protective layer.
- Step 803 a layer of photo resist is deposed over the structural material.
- the pattern of the resist is such to mask the desired regions of the structural material layer so that the desired regions are not removed in Step 804 , and hence remain attached to the protective layer.
- Step 804 the undesired portions of the structural material layer are removed.
- the unwanted portions of the structural material layer are removed with oxygen-nitrogen reactive ion etching.
- Step 805 the resist layer is removed, leaving the structural element.
- Step 806 undesired areas of the lower protective layer are removed.
- the undesired areas of the lower protective layer are removed with an ion beam etch.
- flow chart 800 shows a specific sequence of steps characteristic of one embodiment, other embodiments of the present invention are well suited to function with more or fewer steps. Likewise, the sequences of steps in various such embodiments can vary from those exemplified with process 800 , e.g., depending upon the application. Specifically, quality control measurement steps and process monitoring steps may or may not be present at any step of the process.
- embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus, and assembly for a structural element of a hard drive air bearing surface.
- Embodiments of the present invention function to reduce the number of process steps required to fabricate the air bearing surface.
- Embodiments of the present invention function to eliminate fencing and/or shadowing inherent in the prior art thereby providing an air bearing structural element with planar upper surfaces and rectangular cross section. In these embodiments, head-disc separation bridges due to such fencing, which can lead to particulate contamination and rapid drive failure, is reduced.
- Embodiments of the present invention a method, apparatus, and assembly for a structural element of a hard drive air bearing surface, is thus described. While the present invention has been described with reference to particular exemplary embodiments, the present invention should not be construed as limited by such embodiments, but rather construed according to the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Abstract
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US11/329,680 US7929251B2 (en) | 2006-01-10 | 2006-01-10 | Assembly, apparatus and method for fabricating a structural element of a hard disk drive air bearing |
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US11/329,680 US7929251B2 (en) | 2006-01-10 | 2006-01-10 | Assembly, apparatus and method for fabricating a structural element of a hard disk drive air bearing |
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